1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mail printing system provided with a computer system capable of receiving mail from another computer system via a communication line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data in the form of electronic mail is transferred between personal computers via a communication network system such as the Internet.
When mail sent from one computer is received by another computer, the received data is temporarily stored as mail data in a storage device, such as a hard disk drive, provided to the receiving end computer. The user on the receiving end can extract the contents of the received mail. In some cases, the user starts an application program on the computer in order to read data attached to the received mail and then to print the contents of the received mail and the attached file using a printer connected to the computer.
A user located at one computer can therefore supply printed material to another user at a remote computer through transmitting electronic mail to the remote computer through the communication network and then let the user at the remote computer to control his/her own computer to print out the received mail data.
However, this method of supplying printed material to a remote user via the communication network system is time-consuming. At the receiving end, the user has to start an application program, such as a word processor program, on his/her own personal computer. The user controls the application program to first read data from the electronic mail message and then to print the data by a printer connected to the computer.
According to one conceivable solution, the computer at the transmitting end creates the electronic mail so that the electronic mail includes print data which is prepared by a printer driver or the like. The computer on the receiving end can directly extract the print data from the mail and then output that data directly to the printer. It is possible to eliminate any intermediate processes such as starting an application program or controlling the application program to read in data. By allowing the receiver to directly obtain printed material of the received mail data from the printer, the sender can more effectively provide printed material to the receiver.
It is noted that the print driver on the transmitting end creates the print data at a processing format used for printing the print data by a printer provided at the transmitting end. The processing format includes: description language describing or formatting the print data; a color format creating the print data to be printed in a single color or in a plurality of colors; or the like. Accordingly, when receiving the print data, the remote user may not obtain printed matter based on the print date if the remote user does not have a printer for printing print data at the same processing format. Even if the remote user has a printer with the same processing format, that printer may possibly be of a type that can print data at a plurality of different processing formats. If the printer is not set to the same processing format as the print mail, the printer may not interpret the print data to print the print data.
Thus, if the processing format of the printer on the receiving end is different from that on the transmitting end, the printer on the receiving end will not print the print mail correctly even. As a result, the user on the transmitting end cannot reliably provide his/her desired printed matter to the user on the receiving end.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mail printing system which is capable of providing printed matter to a user on the receiving end in the form desired by a user on the transmitting end.
In order to attain the above and other objects, the present invention provides a mail print device comprising: a plurality of printers; print mail receiving means for receiving print mail transmitted via a communication line; processing format determining means for determining, based on the received print mail, a processing format at which print data, included in the received print mail, should be printed; printer selection means for selecting, from the plurality of printers, a printer having function conforming to the determined processing format; and print process means for controlling the selected printer to perform printing operation based on the received mail to print the print data.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a mail print device comprising: a printer having at least one printing function; print mail receiving means for receiving print mail transmitted via a communication line; processing format determining means for determining, based on the received print mail, a processing format at which print data, included in the received print mail, should be printed; printing function selection means for selecting, from the at least one printing function, a printing function conforming to the determined processing format; and print process means for controlling the printer to perform printing operation at the selected printing function based on the received mail to print the print data.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a mail print system provided in a computer system capable of receiving mail via a communication line, the mail print system comprising: a plurality of printers connected to a computer system for communicating by signals with the computer system; processing format determining means for determining, based on print mail, which is received through a communication line, a processing format at which print data included in the received print mail should be printed; printer selection means for selecting, from the plurality of printers, a printer having function conforming to the determined processing format; and print process means for controlling the selected printer to perform printing operation based on the received mail to print the print data.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a mail print system provided in a computer system capable of receiving mail via a communication line, the mail print system comprising: a printer connected to a computer system for communicating by signals with the computer system and having a plurality of functions; processing format determining means for determining, based on mail received through a communication line, a processing format, at which print data included in the received print mail should be printed; printer function selection means for selecting, from the plurality of functions, a printing function conforming to the determined processing format; and print process means for controlling the printer to perform printing operation at the selected print function based on the received mail to print the print data.
According to still another aspect, the present invention provides a program storage medium capable of being read by a computer capable of receiving mail via a communication line, the program storage medium comprising: a program of determining, based on print mail, which is received through a communication line, a processing format at which print data included in the received print mail should be printed; a program of selecting, from a plurality of printers connected to the computer, a printer having function conforming to the determined processing format; and a program of controlling the selected printer to perform printing operation based on the received mail to print the print data.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a program storage medium capable of being read by a computer capable of receiving mail via a communication line, the program storage medium comprising: a program of determining, based on mail received through a communication line, a processing format, at which print data included in the print mail should be printed; a program of selecting, from a plurality of functions achievable by a printer connected to the computer, a printing function conforming to the determined processing format; and a program of controlling the printer to perform printing operation at the selected print function based on the received mail to print the print data.